The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Uh... why does something that could have been laughed off sound so real now, after you put it that way?

Gan Yu smiled, her head swaying as Kiana shook her, feeling almost dizzy.

Fortunately, the story was only half-finished...

Kiana.

Unable to bear it any longer, Mei, feeling a bit jealous, reached out and delivered a chop to the back of Kiana's head.

After feeling dizzy from the back of her head, she had to dazedly put her hand away.

When Kiana turned around and saw Mei's helpless expression, she quickly came to her senses and said with some regret:

"Ahem! Sorry, this is my first time visiting Liyue Harbor with a friend. So I'm a little nervous..."

"Don't be nervous, Kiana. If any of you or your friends harbor ill intentions, I believe the Great Sage of Demon Extermination will not remain indifferent. So Miss Bronya should have no malicious intent."

"Oh, that's good." Kiana breathed a sigh of relief, then pointed ahead and said with rare excitement, "Great! Let's head straight for the Hall of Rebirth. Since we're on someone else's turf, we should definitely pay a visit to the local master!"

"The local...master?" Gan Yu tilted her head, somewhat confused.

Although Liyue Harbor is governed by the Seven Stars, it is ultimately a...unclaimed land standing on the land of Liyue. Since the passing of the Geo Archon, this place can be said to be under the rule of the people.

In fact, long ago, the Geo Archon's rule over Liyue was negligible, and after the Battle of Ocel... Liyue Harbor truly achieved autonomy. At least no one openly proclaimed that Liyue Harbor belonged to them, and even if someone did, they would never gain recognition.

Because no one can match the Emperor's achievements.

So, to whom does Liyue Harbor actually belong?

It belongs to the people.

"I feel that Liyue Harbor is now arguably the only country in the Seven Kingdoms that is completely governed by men. So, how should I begin to talk about visiting the master?"

Gan Yu's gentle smile as she turned around seemed to dispel the summer heat, making one yearn for her involuntarily.

She is such a gentle and beautiful girl.

So the question is, did she know or not that the Rock King Emperor was actually Mr. Zhongli, a guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth?

If you don't know, then take her to see it later. I wonder if she'll blush with embarrassment after the truth comes out.

If one knew the truth, then what he just said would be quite intriguing.

Seeing this, Kiana thought for a moment and decided to test the waters directly. After all, with both probabilities, there would always be a result.

"Well, what I actually wanted to tell you is..."

"Please, Miss Kiana, stop talking nonsense. While we in Liyue are warm and hospitable, we are not without manners."

Perhaps because she was a little angry, Gan Yu's narrowed eyes revealed a hint of coquettishness.

Obviously, although visitors are guests, it is quite normal for them to cause dissatisfaction among the locals if they do not follow the etiquette of guests.

Thinking of this, Kiana came to her senses and solemnly stated.

"oh, I understand now."

“Very good. Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Kiana.”

Gan Yu smiled at Kiana and her group, then gestured for everyone to continue.

The group then completed the formalities at the General Affairs Department. Thanks to the help of the Seven Stars Secretary, the originally tedious process became much easier.

"The temporary documents for you have been processed. Ms. Gan Yu, please take a look."

A soldier from the Thousand Rock Army, armed with a gun and carrying documents, approached Gan Yu and politely handed them over.

Upon hearing this, Gan Yu interrupted her instructions to Kiana and the others, instead asking Kiana to repeat the precautions needed in Liyue Harbor. Once the four of them, plus... a puppet?, had begun to understand on their own, she nodded with satisfaction and began reading the documents.

"Thank you, let me see..."

While Gan Yu was intently reviewing the documents, Kiana was also seriously explaining the precautions for staying temporarily to Mei.

"Mei, remember not to take anything from the docks. It's likely someone's cargo left there temporarily. And also... remember not to talk to strangers. Although Liyue has the Thousand Rock Army to maintain order, occasionally treasure hunters or bandits with malicious intentions sneak in. And also..."

Before she could even finish speaking and make herself clear...

Mei gently reached out and touched her red lips, looking somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Alright Kiana, what you're saying is all very ordinary, isn't it? I don't see any need for a special explanation."

"I was afraid you'd run off... When I came here with Ying, she was chasing after a food vendor and she ran off into the distance without me noticing. It's really strange."

Kiana grasped Mei's slender wrist, then winked at her, her eyes filled with deep affection.

However...

What she didn't know was!

Unwittingly, he revealed a very dangerous name!

"Ugh...really. I'm not a child, why am I so concerned—hmm? Shadow? Whose name is that?"

Mei was initially overjoyed to hear Kiana's words of concern for Yuche. However, as she realized what was going on, she suddenly sensed something was amiss.

film?

Is this a person's name? If so, who is this person? They chased after the food vendor and ran off... Could this be a little girl's name?

Mei thought about it for a moment and felt that it should be true. After all, no matter how you look at it, it's impossible for an adult to do something like this, unless that adult has an insatiable love for sweets.

Otherwise, how could they be so naive?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, a deity in a certain pure land slowly opened his eyes.

"Strange, why am I suddenly feeling a bit irritable? Who am I thinking about...?"

This question lingered in Ying's mind, and she couldn't shake it off for a long time.

After much deliberation, she decided to go to Naruto Shrine to speak with Yae no Miko about Inazuma's current situation. She also planned to visit the sacred cherry tree and pay her respects to her sister...

And so it was, when Shadow left the Pure Land of One Heart once again.

Kiana and the others finally completed their temporary stay procedures in Liyue.

"With these documents, you can move freely in Liyue. Whew..." After all the hustle and bustle, Gan Yu finally finished and yawned. "Well, I have to go back now."

"Are you going back to Ningguang's place?" Kiana asked in surprise when she heard that Gan Yu was leaving. She quickly grabbed the secretary and looked at her with a look of astonishment.

"Huh? Um...yes. What's wrong, Kiana?"

"It's nothing, I just felt like I hadn't seen her in a long time. Let's go visit her while we're at it. Anyway, finding your junior sister is part of our responsibility, and we'll definitely be meeting up again soon." Kiana turned around and looked at her companions, finding that no one objected.

So, it's decided that we'll visit Ningguang while we're at it!

Out with the old, in with the new, an unforgettable Lantern Festival (Liyue New Year): Chapter Seventeen Ningguang's most beloved companion and nuke

However...

"Lady Ningguang doesn't receive visitors often; it's been a rare occasion in recent years for her to personally meet with travelers. But with your achievements... it should be possible?" Gan Yu stroked her smooth chin and replied calmly.

While neither expressing agreement nor opposition, they did not express approval.

Doesn't that mean we can go now?

However, as they were about to set off, Kiana and her group had a disagreement about the upcoming itinerary.

First, there is Void Repository, who appears in the form of a female Otto. Although her gender and appearance have changed slightly, her basic thought process and personality have not changed much.

After obtaining the free passage document, this supercomputer, whose ultimate mission from the very beginning was to fight against the Honkai, and which may continue until its demise, came behind Kiana.

"Judging from your tone just now, it seems the master of this city is still alive?"

Upon hearing this, Kiana immediately stopped in her tracks.

strangeness...

It's been so long since we arrived at Wangshu Inn and Liyue Harbor, and it seems no one has revealed any information about the Geo Archon, Zhongli.

How did she guess that?

Feeling puzzled, Kiana waved to Mei and Ganyu, indicating that she would catch up later. Then she turned around and asked with a serious expression.

"Hmm? How did you deduce that he was already dead?"

“No,” Miss Otto replied gracefully, flicking her feather fan, “I deduce that he is still alive.”

"why?"

"Because I believe you wouldn't lie to your friends. Is that a reasonable reason?"

This computer... is surprisingly ingenious sometimes, isn't it?

Kiana suddenly had this idea in her mind, then shook her head and looked into the distance.

Beyond the bustling streets of Liyue lies a place that inspires fear in the people of the region.

Hall of Rebirth...

"Go that way, and you should be able to find a place called the Hall of Rebirth. There's a guest elder there named Zhongli. Talk to him and you'll get the answer you're looking for. But let me warn you first, the Rock King Emperor is dead. Now only the mortal Zhongli wanders the mortal world. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Heh, the so-called current situation of the Rock King Emperor... it basically matches the conversation between those two fishmongers just now. But is there such a hidden story? Hmm... unexpected."

Miss Otto closed her folding fan, then clapped her hands and smiled for the first time.

"If we can win him over to fight against the Honkai, that might be a good thing. Thank you, kind Herrscher."

However, just as she was about to go back, Kiana suddenly called her back.

"Wait!"

"what happened?"

Void Treasury paused, glancing back sideways. That glance revealed a coldness and ruthlessness, a stark contrast to Gan Yu's earlier look.

It can only be said that no matter how human-like a machine is, it will ultimately be difficult to perfectly reproduce emotions.

Under the watchful eye of this pre-civilized computer, Kiana slowly reached out and grabbed Sirin's little foot.

"slow--!"

Before the little guy, whose body was wrapped in gauze, could struggle, she poured out several small bags of Mora without saying a word.

"Money isn't everything in Liyue, but you can't do without it. Here, take it. I'll be bringing Mei and the others to the Hall of Rebirth later, so just remember to be there then."

"You actually gave me money on purpose... Okay. I'll try my best to avoid causing you any trouble."